Improvement in potato-bug catchers



UNITED STATES PATENT CONRAD P. STEINMETZ, OF PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN POTATO-BUG CATCHERS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 210,163, dated November 19,1878; application filed October 10, 1878.

To all rwhom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CONRAD P. STEINMETZ, of Prairie du Chien, in the county of OrawfOrd and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PO- tato-Bug Catchers, of which the following is a specification:

The figure is a perspective view, showing the catcher with jaws' Opened and ready for use.

This invention relates to that class of devices used for catching bugs, insects, or vermin, and more particularly that which infests potatoes and other vegetables 5 and the novelty consists in a catcher having a spring-handle, while each arm of the spring is at its Outer extremity concave and considerably enlarged, the two extremities being so shaped that the upper will match with and it closely upon the under, all as will now be more in detail set out and explained.

In the accompanying drawing, A denotes the spring-handle of the catcher. Toits upper end, a', is attached the straight arm c, and to its lower end, a, the bent or curved arm b. At the Outer extremity of bis the concave jaw B, with horizontal ianged sides, flanges, or edges b. This jaw, as shown, is made in a heart shape; but any shape that may be useful for the purposes in View may be adopted. At the outer extremity of arm c is a like jaw, C, having horizontal or iiat sides, flanges, Or edges c', and said jaw is so made and fashioned that when it is laid upon B it will match and tit into and upon it quite exactly. When not in use the spring-handle will cause the two jaws to stand apart.

To use the device, the lower jaw is Operated as a scoop to gather up the bug, insect, or the like, and when this is done the upper jaw is bent firmly down upon it by the hand of the Operator, crushing whatever has been caught on the lower iaw.

The arms and jaws may be made ot' metal or wood, and many modifications in the mere size or shape of the parts' may be made.-

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Ihe bug-catcher herein described, consisting of spring-handle A, arms b and c, with coucave jaws B and C fitting into each other, as shown, each of said jaws having iian ged edges or sides, substantially as and for the purposes.

set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing asy my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CONRAD PHILIPP SIEINMETZ.Y Witnesses:

HORACE BEACH, HORACE BEACH, Jr. 

